Spotify vs. YouTube Music: I've tested both services, and this is the one you should pick

2 days ago 8
A examination  photograph  betwixt  Spotify and YouTube Music
Elyse Betters Picaro/ZDNET

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Music streaming services are amazingly not one-size-fits-all, and 1 work mightiness beryllium amended for your needs than another. If you're moving betwixt Spotify and YouTube Music, Spotify offers higher-quality streaming, societal features, and respective AI-powered features, portion YouTube offers subscribers a simpler acquisition and integration with YouTube Premium.

Also: Spotify vs. Apple Music: I've utilized some euphony streaming services, and my prime is clear

I've swapped betwixt Spotify and YouTube Music and compared their features to assistance you determine which is champion for you. 

Features


SpotifyYouTube Music
Price$12.99/mo (individual plan)$10.99/mo (individual plan)
Lossless audioYesNo
Bundle?NoYes
Spatial audioNoNo

You should take Spotify if...

Spotify homepage
Jada Jones/ZDNET

1. Audio prime is important to you

By default, Spotify Premium streams euphony astatine up to 256 kbps, which falls wrong the AAC codec's range. Most radical wouldn't beryllium capable to archer the quality betwixt this bitrate and immoderate higher one. However, Spotify Premium besides supports up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC lossless audio.

Also: I tested Sony and Bose's champion headphones for months - however my buying proposal has changed successful 2026

If you see yourself an audiophile and privation casual entree to higher-quality streaming, Spotify has much options than YouTube Music.

2. You similar sharing music

Spotify has respective societal features, including SharePlay connected iOS, Spotify Wrapped, Jams, integration with Discord and TikTok, societal recommendations, and the quality to travel your friends connected Spotify. If you travel friends connected Spotify, the app tin make blended playlists that diagnostic some of your favourite songs, fto you spot each other's activity, oregon fto you commencement a listening enactment and perceive unneurotic successful real-time.

Also: Spotify's caller Page Match diagnostic fixes my biggest vexation with audiobooks - here's how

Aside from sharing music, Spotify is integrated with Discord to crippled and chat with your friends portion listening to euphony together. On TikTok, you tin easy prevention songs from the video-sharing app to your Spotify library. In summation to societal apps, Spotify Tap is integrated with respective user audio products, letting you motorboat and perceive to the app without opening your phone.

3. You privation respective AI-powered features

Spotify integrates AI into galore of its playlist instauration and euphony find features, including Spotify-made recommendations based connected your interests and Instant Playlists, which make playlists from prompts. Spotify besides offers Prompted Playlists, which besides make playlists from a prompt, but the diagnostic refreshes the songs regular oregon weekly.

Also: Spotify's Prompted Playlists consciousness similar a smarter mode to observe euphony - however it works

Spotify subscribers tin besides entree an AI DJ that recommends older songs you whitethorn person forgotten astir and suggests caller genres, playlists, and artists you whitethorn beryllium funny in.

You should take YouTube Music if...

YouTube Music turns 10, and it's taking 1  of Spotify's champion  features to celebrate
Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

1. You are a YouTube fanatic

You tin bundle an ad-free YouTube Premium and YouTube Music subscription unneurotic for $13.99/mo, which is $1 much per period than an idiosyncratic Spotify subscription. 

Also: How I download YouTube videos for escaped - 2 casual and reliable methods to bash it

If you walk a batch of clip connected YouTube and often look up unrecorded performances, authoritative euphony videos, oregon much obscure songs that aren't connected mainstream streaming platforms, YouTube Music whitethorn beryllium the amended prime for you.

2. You privation a elemental streaming work

If AI DJs, third-party app integration, varying bitrates, and a deluge of playlists dependable excessively analyzable for you, YouTube Music is up your alley. The main allure of YouTube Music is that subscribers tin perceive ad-free, download songs for offline listening, and power betwixt audio and video with ease. 

Writer's choice

I similar Spotify to YouTube Music. I bask Spotify's euphony find features, and the work provides respective mixes crossed genres, artists, vibes, and languages to grow your philharmonic palate. Additionally, the YouTube Music level has a precise elemental and bare-bones idiosyncratic experience, which I don't like. 

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